Summary
“Scorched Earth” builds to a significant development, as a longstanding question is answered and personal dramas threaten to ruin everyone’s chances at a happy ending.
This recap of Dare Me Season 1, Episode 7, “Scorched Earth”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
Continuing a run of solid outings, Dare Me Episode 7 builds to an explosive conclusion that feels like the appropriate payoff for a number of lingering subplots and obvious foreshadowing that dates back to the very first episode. With Regionals continuing to loom, the relationship between Beth and Addy experiencing something of a rekindling, and the tormented love life of Colette reaching the point of no return, there’s plenty to chew on in “Scorched Earth”.
The development of Beth as a much more complex character than first suggested continues here, not just in terms of her relationship with Addy but those with her mother and father, Tacy, and in many ways herself. She remains the most compelling character even as the dramatic focus continues to shift more towards Colette and her alliance with Addy.
While Dare Me has never really been about cheerleading, it continues to use the sport as an appropriate and effective metaphor for the various relationships at play here. In “Scorched Earth” Beth’s bust-up with Tacy and lingering resentment over Addy and Colette threatens to ruin their chances of a successful performance and a move up to State level, and even though the performance is ultimately successful, it’s obvious that their sporting progress isn’t going to mend their personal issues.
While the impressive choreography and general presentation of the cheerleading performances could have worked as a highlight on their own, Dare Me Episode 7 still elects to close out with a significant development. Summoned to the hotel by Colette, Addy finds Sarge Will dead – finally, we learn who that puddle of blood belonged to. With this news, the show takes a dark turn, and what these characters will emerge into on the other side of it remains a major question.
